Improvement in sewing-machines



4sheetsnsbeef1`f. J. A HOUSE &H. A. HOUSE.

Improvement in Sewing-Machines.,

No. 114,294. Patented May 2, m71.

4Sheets--Sheet2- 1. A. HOUSE & H. A. House. v.Improvement inSewing-Machines. 114,294.

Patented May 2,1871.

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lmprovemnt in Sewing-Machines. NO. 114,294. X Patenied May 2,1871.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. HOUSE AND HENRY A. HOUSE, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNORSTO WHEELER & WILSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification fomning part of Letters Patent No. 114,294, dated May 2,1871.

To all rwhom 'it may concern Be it known that we, JAMES A. HOUSE andHENRY A. HOUSE, both of Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield, in theState of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Sewilig-hiacliines; and that the following, taken in connection withthe drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

.In the drawings which represent a machine embodying our invention,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine on a scale one-half ot' thatof the other figures. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through parts of themachine in the line y y of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a vertical section oi theparts of the machine on the line a: a* of Fig. 4, and an elevation ofother parts, with the face-plate, needle-carrier, and presser-footcarrier removed. Fig. 4 is a plan of parts of the machine with the platewhich constitutes the supporting-table or platform removed.y

Fig. 5 contains two vertical sections at right angles to each otherthrough the bobbin-container. Fig. 6 is a plan ot' the bobbin andbobbin-case. Fig. 7, a horizontal section through thev same. Fig. Sis anelevation ot' the bobbin-ease. Fig. 9 is a plan of the bobbin. Fig. 1l)is a plan ot' the hook and the bobbin-case supporter. Fig. 11 is anelevation ot' the hook. In Fig. 12 are shown two elevations of thetake-up lever, one of them being partially in section, in order toexhibit the pin and shaft which actnate that lever. Fig. 12 is a partialsection through the takeup lever and its driving-shaft in the line ofthe axis thereof'. Fig. 13 is a plan of the preferred kind ofcog-gearing and of the shaft and cams which actuate the feed-bar. Fig.14

- exhibits the thread-guides in plan and elevafounded with that otherclass ot' machines in which a shuttle revolving upon its own axis isemployed, such shuttle acting, by means of a hook making part thereof,to draw out loops of needle-thread and pass them around itself, andconsequently around the bobbin contained in the shuttle, and suchshuttle and its hook being ot' necessity separate from and not connectedwith a shaft or any other means for causing it to revolve.

The class ot' machines upon which our improvements are based are usuallyknown as N'Vheeler & Wilson machines, and our improvements have beeninvented chiefly with a view of enabling revolving-hook machines to sewheavy material, thick cloth, leather, &c., and also to permit the use ofa bobbin containing a much greater quant-ity of thread than can be woundupon the bobbins of machines of that class.

Some of our improvements are applicable to sewing-machines of otherclasses or varieties, and we intend to use them in such machilies.

The machine shown in the drawings is one of the straight-needle variety;but a curved needle, mounted in an arm oscillating on a shaft or center,may be employed.

This machine has a bracket., a., for supporting the needle-carriera1,presser-foot carrier b', Ste., and also a table or platform, c,beneath which the driving-shaft d may be arranged.

lhe needle a2 may be driven from the main shaft through the interventionot' any suitable train of mechanical devices. We prefer an eccentric onthe driving-shaft,actuating, by means of a connecting-rod, a leverinclosed in the bracket, one end of which lever in its vibrations causesthe needle-carrier to reciprocate.

A presser-foot or contrivance for holding the material to be sewn downupon the feeding-surface and the table may be arranged in any usualmanner. We prefer to mount the presser-foot b upon a vertical slidingbar, b', forced down by a spring, c, and lifted, when necessary, byalever, c2, lying behind the bar b' and beneath the bracket. This levermay act either upon the spring or upon the bar itself.

The bobbin for the upper thread may be' mounted in any convenient place,as at c4, with a tension apparatus, as at c5, and an oilvessel, ifdesired, as at e6, the latter being useful When leather is sewn, and thethread being caused topass through the oil iriany usual. or propermanner.

Any proper guides or eyes may be used between the tension and theneedle-eye,A :Vi/'e prefer to use such lguides asv are shownrspeciallyin Fig. 14. These' guides are the usual oyes, with a diagonal slit, f,cut from the eye*A proper or orificejto the outside. :.ltis c ut intothat side ofthe oriii'ce against which the thread does-not usually bear,and it furnishes a convenient means ibrthreading the eye, while atbobbimand a depression and bevel at g4,

which facilitate the slipping off of the loop. In the operation of thishook the lower part of the bight of needle-thread passes under thebobbin, and the upper part ofthe same bight over the bobbin 5' and asthis lower part leads from the needle-eye, and the upperpart from theunder side of the `cloth,and the seizing part of the hook lies somedistance below the cloth, (see Fig. 2,) it will be perceived that theloop has a wide throat or base, and that it is well suited forsurrounding a thick bobbin. Owing to this peculiar conformation, andconsequent peculiar action of the hook, the apex ofthe loop, Ior thatpart of it held on the hook proper, forms a round turn of needle-threadaround ythe seizing part of the hook j ust prior to the time when theloop is cast oi' from the hook; butwe find, in practice, that this turnslips freely off of the point of the hook when the hook and needleareabout in the relative position shown in Fig. l0, and that theformation of this round turn is in no way objectionable. v

The seizing, expanding, and casting off `functions and operationsot' thehook are the same as in `former known rotary hooks of the machines ofthe Wheeler 8U Vilson system. So long as the hook is so formed' asv topass the loop of needle-thread, as described, and seize, expand, andcast off such loops, its pre cise shape is immaterial.

` This hook also differs in arrangement, with respect to the needle,from ordinary Wheeler di Wilson machines, inspectionof the drawingsshowing that its shaft and axis of revolution are in a plane parallelwith that in which the needle reciprocates, or nearly so, whereas informer' machines the shaft of the hook lies in a plane perpendicular tothat in which'tlie needle reciprocates.

This arrangement of the hook causes the loop to be drawnout in planesnearly parallel with the lower surface ot' the material being sewn, andwith a side draft from the needle, instead of a .downward one, as usual,and thus,

'as before described, much facilitates the forlnation of a wide loop, orone that will surround a thick bobbin.

uwThe bobbin may lie upon the metal forming vthe rhook and revolvingwith it, as would be the case vif the piece h, which we call the bob-"bin-supporter, were made in one piece with the hook or so attachedthereto as to rotate with it 5 but we prefer to use a hollow tube forthe hook-shaft, and to place within it a rod, hl, to

which isattached the bobbin-supporter h.

This rod tends to revolve by the friction of the hook-shaft upon it andthe friction of the h ook upon the bottom ofthe bobbin-supporter, and isprevented from revolving by means of a set-screw, h2, or other properdevice; and we' prefer to permit the set-screw to bear in such way uponthe rod that the latter will be i'ree to slide up and down.

i By applying theiinger, to the button h3 th Ybin-supporter may beshaped as aiiat or dished or irregular surface; but the best plan is toform itas a ring or annular elevation, h4, the bobbin resting upon thering, and thus affording free space for the needlethread to pass underthe bobbin, the thread being hampered only where the bobbin rests uponthe ring; and we further prefer to cut away a part of the periphery ofthis ring, as at if', (see Fig. 10,) and to arrange the gap in suchrelation to the needle that the loop at the time when itis cast voff lbythe hook is not nipped at all between the bobbin and thering, and itthereforeopposes no resistance when drawn up.

Upon the supporter or the center part of the hook any of the usualcircular bobbins of this class of machines may be placed, and

these bobbins may be made much thicker than usual at and near thecenters thereof, so as to contain more thread 3 but wel prefer to employa bobbin, i, inclosed in a case, f1.

When a case is used, one of its special offices is to shut upthe slitbetween the upper and lower heads of the b obbins, and thus preventloops ol' needle-thread from entering and being caught in this slit, anda mere ring will serve this purpose, provided it be slightly flangedinward at bottom, so that the bobbin may rest in it; but we prefer tomake the case with a bottom, and to round the bottom so as to present aslittle obstacle as possible to the passage of one part of the loopbeneath it,

and also to bevel the top on one side thereof,

(see i2, Figs. l, 6, and 8,) so as to permit the other part of the loopto slip freely over its edge.

Another special oftice of the bobbin is that it aords a support for atension device for putting tension upon the lower thread, and we intendto use any proper usual device, such as holes, through which the threadis passed as in shuttles, but we prefer a spring-ring, i3. (Seespecially Fig. 7.) This spring tends to expand and bears against theinside of the bobbin-case, and a part of it projects through a slit inthe periphery of the case.

The bobbin-thread is passed through a hole in the case, such as i4, andthe spring is then, by means of the projection, revolved in thedirection of arrow, Fig. 7. This turning ot' the spring' nips the threadbetween the spring and the case, and a greater or lesser degree oftension may be attained by turning the end of the spring to a greater orlesser distance past the hole.

We sometimes intend to form a groove on the outside of the bobbin-caseand locate in it a spring-ring, tending to diminish its diameter. Bysliding this ring the nippingA of the thread is produced in the saineway and substantially by the same means.

The thread may lead directly from the exterior of the bobbin-case to theunder side ot' the cloth when the machine is in operation, and goodsewing effected, but as the bobbincase tends to tip and oscillate underthe action of the loop passing around it, thus disturbing the efticienttension on the bobbin-thread, and as we desire to attain as near aspossible to perfection, we lead the thread back again toward the centerof the bobbin through another hole just above it, and hook it under alittle hook, i5, attached to a spindle projecting upward from the centerof the bobbin-piece. The thread then lies as in Fig. 6, and always leadsfrom the center of the bobbin, and is not at't'ectcd by any oscillationor tipping thereof.

The bobbin is made with a hollow axis as usual, and the spindlesupporting the little hook i5 passes up through this axis.

The bobbin or bobbin-case when used is held in place by thebobbin-container, which is the inner surface or bore i6 ot' a shortcylinder or ring; this ring may be supported and held in place vin anyproper or convenient manner so long as it surrounds the bobbn orbobbin-case, substantially as shown in the drawing.

which (see specially Fig. 4) enters into a recess cut into the bore ofthe restraining-ring i6, and as the bobbin or bobbin-case sometimes,while the loop is being put over it,

knocks noisily against one part of the ring, there is applied to thering and making part of it a piece of rawhide, hard leather,indiarubber, or substance of similar cushioning properties, i, againstwhich the bobbin-pin strikes at such times.

Neither the nose nor the cushion-piece is essential, but they tend toperfect the machine.

The rotating hook may be caused to revolve in any usual or propermanner, care being taken as usual that the hooked part thereof shall atthe proper time seize the loop ot` needle-thread. vWe prefer to drive itfrom the main shaft by means of any proper gearing, and have essayedwith success common miter or bevel gear, especially where the hook is sogeared that it makes two complete revolutions to each stroke of theneedle instead of one revolution at each stroke, as usual inrevolving-hook machines.

The hook when thus geared up seizes a loop at each alternate revolutiononly, and the object of giving it this double speed is that it may drawont and cast oft' the loop quickly, thus giving more time in proportionfor the pulling up ot' the loop by the take-up than when the hook makesonly one revolution for each stroke of the needle.

rI he pulling up of the loop is accomplished ehiey during the timeoccupied by those revolutions ot' the hook during which no needle-threadis seized.

The plan, however, which we prefer is to drive the hook with adifferential or varying velocity during each revolution, and we intendto effectthis by any means known to mechanics, suitable for the purpose,but propose usually to employ a kind ot' gearing which we believe to benew, viz., two irregular oval or eccentric screw gear-wheels whose axeslie in planes at right angles to each other.

By reference to the drawings it will be perceived that one of thesegear-wheels la is mounted upon the main shaft, ,and the other, 7c', uponthe shat't or axis of the revolving hook.

rlhis shaft rests upon a hollow cone, g3, which is free to slide in thestationary arm g4, and is held in place by a set-screw, g5, the gist ofthe construction being that the support which carries the hook, andconsequently the hook itself, shall be adjustable.

The cogs on these gear-wheels are cut according to well-known rules forcutting screwgear, and the contour ot' the wheels themselves issubstantially such as is shown in the drawings, and they are so arrangedin reference to each other, to the hook, and the needle that the hookmoves with greater velocity during the time of seizing and expanding ordrawing out the loop and with less velocity during the time that theloop is being drawn up or pulled up by the thread-controller or take-up.

The loop which surrounds the bobbin must be asl wide open as thethickness of the bobbin, and as the hook pulls out or opens the loop inplanes substantially at right angles to the plane in which the needlevibrates, and as the bobbin lies above the hook, it is well to preventas much as possible side'strainupon the needle, and to hold down thatpart of the loop which goes under the bobbin.

ln order to accomplish these results there is applied near the needlea2, which is contained when below the cloth in the groove a3, a smallstationary hook, j, (see special Fig. 5;) this hook is so shaped andlocated, substantially as shown, that therotating hook revolving in thedirection of the arrows, Figs. 4t and 10, draws the lower part of theseized loop behind the hook j, so that it rests in the gap j. As therevolving hook continues to expand the loop the draw or pull of thethread, in Aconsequence of its being caught behind the stationary hook,tends to pull the needle downward instead of sidewise, and the lowerApart of the loop is prevented from being drawn up by the needle. At orabout the time that the loop is fully formed the lower part of it iscarried in such direction by the seizing part of the rotating hook, andis so held down by the bobbin, that this lower part 'pulls on thestationary hook in a direction somewhat in reverse to that in which itpulled at the commencement of the drawing-out operation, and thereforeslips off the stationary hook under its rounded point. This stationaryhook may be used or not used, but the machine works better when it isfurnished with a stationary hook.

Any proper feed-motion may be used in c0n nection with the stitchingmechanism, but the ordinary four-motion feed, consisting of a notched orroughened bar acting in combination with a smooth surface pressing thecloth down upon the roughened surf ace,is preferred.

As this machine is intended specially for use in heavy work a strongfeed is needed, and it is better to arrange the rough surface p on bothsides of the needle, (see specially Fig. 4;) when this surface is thusarranged and the feed-bar lies directly over the gearwheel upon the mainshaft it is impossible to arrange the cams which lift and push it in thedirection of the f'eed directly under the bar, and if these cams arearranged on one side only of the cog-wheels they tend to shog the barsidewise when resisted by a force equal to that needed to feed the clothor leather.

In order to obviate this difficulty two han gers or pendants, 121191,are attached to and depend from the feed-bar; these hangers straddle thegear-wheel, and apply themselves against cams p2 p2 p4 p", arranged oneach side of the wheel.

Two of these camslift the hangers, and consequently the feeding surface,`and the other two force the bar forward to feed the cloth while the baris lifted.

' The bar isretracted and forced downward by the spring p5. (See Fig.4.)

Thefeed-bar is supported in place in any usual or proper manner, and itsend or a piece, 196, attached to its end farthest from the feedingsurface, strikes when thrown back against a wedge-formed stop, p7. v

This stop is supported in a slot in the edge of the platform (see p,Fig. 9) in such manner that it can be moved or slid to and fro toregulate the distance of retraction of the bar, and consequently thelength of stitches.

There is attached to this bar a handle, p, outside of the machine, andalso a graduated plate or scale, p10, and there is engraved upon orattached to the platform of the machine an index line or hand; or thegraduations may` be marked upon the platform and the hand be attached tothe wedge. v

The wedge is so shaped and the plate so graduated that the length of thestitch may be regulated prior to the commencement of any sewing, andthis facility feed-bar to any predetermined length of stitch is useful.v

1n ordinary rotating-hook machines the castloff loop is pulled up tightby the drawing out of a succeeding loop, and the machine hereinbeforedescribed will sew in that manner.

This method of drawing up the loop involves the pulling ot' the threadin opposite directions through two thicknesses of the whole pile ofmaterial being sewn, and consequently there is great resistance, owingto friction, arising from the fact that the thread is pulled upwardthrough the material by a downward pull upon the same thread passingdown again through the material.

In sewing leather and very heavy cloth it is important to avoid thisresistance, and in order to do so there is combined with the needle andhook a take-up or thread-controller, located above the cloth, andcommencing to draw up the loop at or about the time it is cast off bythe revolving hook, and finishing the drawing up before the revolvinghook seizes a succeeding loop.

There are many take-ups'patented, described,

l and in common use, especially on sewing-ma'- chines of the shuttlevariety, which will answer the purpose; but we prefer to use a lever, I,mounted upon a shaft, 1.1, and tending to rcmain at rest, this tendencyresulting from the employment of a friction-spring or pad or pads, Z3Z3, pressing upon the lever by preference -near its center ofoscillation.

The hub of the lever has a slotcut in it, (see Figs. 3 and 12,) and apin or arm, m, attached to the shaft upon which the lever is mounted,enters the slot.

of setting the The shaft Z has an arm, m2, upon it, and this arm andconsequently the shaft and piu are caused .to oscillate by means of anyproper train of mechanical motions; the cam m3, acting by means of abent lever (mounted and concealed in the bracket) upon the arm m2, is

the mechanical means employed in the ma-A chine shown in the drawings.

The needle-thread leading from the guide f2 is passed through an eye orhook in the end of the take-up lever; thence through the guide f3,-thence again through an eye or hook in the end of the take-up lever;thence through an eye, f4 and thence downward and through the eye of theneedle.

Vhen the rotating hook spreads the loop the take-up lever is drawnforward by the thread overcoming the friction of the pads, thusfurnishing thread for the loop; and after the loop is cast off the pinin, in its oscillation, (see Fig. 12,) strikes against the end of theslot in which it plays, and throws the lever back, thus drawing up thecastei' loop above l the cloth.

The pin m oscillates back again in the direction the reverse of thearrow at or before the time that the hook seizes a new loop, thusleaving the take-u p lever free to be pulled forward by the thread, asbefore.

The cam and connections to drive the lever must be so constructed as toperform the drawing-up and permit the spreading at the proper times..

The hook on the end ofthe take-up lever is formed by punching a hole inthe end of it so as to leave a tongue, l2, extending into the hole. Thepunched end of the lever is then bent over on itself, substantially asshown in the drawings, and when thread is passed through the hook thetongue prevents it from escaping, somewhat in the same manner as thesnap of a snap-hook.

When the bobbin is wound and pnt in the case and the thread subjected tothe tension and led from the center of the bobbin, as before described,it is to be put into place in its containing-ring upon thebobbin-supporter, and a door-shutter or coveringplate, n, is shut overit.

This plate is pivoted at al, (see Fig. 4,) and a spring, a2, tends tothrow it open.

1t is prevented from swingingopen by means of a springcatch, n3, Fig. 3.

The needle is then to be threaded with the thread led through thetension eyes, take-np lever, &c., and the cloth is to be put in theusual place and pressed down by the presserfoot.

A revolving motion imparted to the main shaft will cause the needle todescend, pierce the cloth, and rise a little; then the hook in itsrotation will seize a loop, expand it, and

pass it around the bobbin-case and bobbin and.

cast the loop off, all during a further ascent, or an ascent and partialdescent of the needle.

When the loop is cast oft' it will be drawn up by the take-up, thusinelosing or surrounding the bobbin-thread; and a subsequent descent ofthe needle, seizing, expanding, casting ofi', and drawing up of a loopof needle-thread varound the bobbin-thread, will `complete a stitch,provided the, feeding apparatus acts as usual to advance the cloth whilethe needle is out of it.

We claim as of our invention- 1. A rotating hook, so formed,substantiallyr as described, as to seize,expand, and cast olf loops ofneedle-thread, as specified, and in its action causing a round turn ofthread around the seizing part of the hook.

2. The relative arrangement of a reciproeatin g eye, pointed needle, anda revolving hook, substantially such as specified, so that the seizingportion of the latter revolves in planes perpendicular to that in whichthe former reciprocates, the arrangement being substantially such asspecified, and both the needle and hook operatin g substantially as described.

3. The combination of a reciprocating eye- Vpointed needle with arevolving hook, substantially such as is specified, and a bobbin, whenthe a-Xes of the two latter are in planes parallel t0 that in which theneedle reciprocates, the relative arrangement being as described.

4. In combination with a revolving hook,- a nonrevol vin gbobbin-supporter, provided with a ring or annular elevation,substantiallysuch as described, on which a bobbin or a bobbincase mayrest, as described.

5. A non-revolving bobbin-supporter, provided with a ring or annularelevation having' a gap or opening in the periphery thereof, theconstruction being substantially such as described, when arranged andoperating in com bination with a revolving hook, substantially asdescribed.

6. A bobbin, in combination with a bobbincase and ahorizontally-revolving hook, all constructed and operating substantiallyas described. A

7.A bobbin, in combination with a bobbincase, having peripheral eyes orholes, and a central standard with a guide-eye or hook located at theaxis of the bobbin, through which bobbin-thread may be led, asdescribed.

8. A take-up lever, mounted upon a shaft and operated in one directionby a pin or arm upon the shaft, and in the other by the pull or draft ofthe thread, the combination of lever, pin, and shaft being substantiallysuch as set forth.

9. The take-up lever, provided at its end with the double hook andtongue between the two parts thereof, the construction and coinbinationbeing as set forth.

10. The combination of two irregular eccentric or oval screw-gears, theone mounted upon a shaft lying in a plane at right angles to the' planein which the shaft of the other gear is located, the combination beingsubstantially such as set forth.

l1. The combination of two sets of cams,

one set upon each side of a cog-Wheol, with substantially suchfisdeseribed, for the lower two legs or pendants attached to a feed-har,end of' the hookshaft.

whereby the feeding surface may be properly In testimony whereof we havehereunto subaetuated when located above the cog-wheel, scribed' ournames.

substantially as set forth. JAMES A. HOUSE.

l2. In combination with a, revolving hook, Witnesses: HENRY A. HOUSE.substantially-such as specified, and mounted G. C. BISHOP,

upon a vertical exis, an adjustable support, C. H. DIMOND.

